A HAMPSHIRE MP has forced a national newspaper to back down over allegations that he “milked” the parliamentary expenses system.
Dr Julian Lewis has had his complaint against the News of the World upheld by the Press Complaints Commission (PCC), which regulates the newspaper industry.
The article focused on Dr Lewis’s two homes – a flat in London and a house in Totton.
It was claimed that Dr Lewis had pocketed more than £60,000 in second home allowances on his Westminster apartment after listing the Totton property as his main residence – despite “hardly” ever being at the property.
The paper also accused the MP of threatening to invoke police security powers in a bid to gag the paper.
Dr Lewis denied the allegations, saying he lived in Totton for part of each week of the year – and spent even more time there when Parliament was not sitting.
He also denied attempting to censor the story, saying he had merely expressed concern about his homes being identified in the Press.
In its adjudication the PCC says: “The commission was not impressed with the newspaper’s evidence for claiming that Dr Lewis was ‘hardly’ at his constituency home.
“There seemed to be no convincing reason to doubt his assertion that he was there regularly throughout the year.
“Nor had the newspaper been able to substantiate the claim that he had sought to ‘censor’ the story. He had just requested that the precise location of the homes be withheld.
“The central claims in the story were therefore misleading and the newspaper should have offered a prompt and clear correction.”
Last night Dr Lewis welcomed his victory.
He said: “Smears such as this are easy to initiate and take time to demolish – but it was worth the effort.”
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